Ashlei almost dropped the glass, for a reflection suddenly stared at her in the Prism, a face which was not her own. The person also possessed red-gold hair, thick waves cascading over her shoulders. A dark indigo cape pulled close around her shoulders; her lips shone a vibrant red, her eyes a vibrant violet. For a moment, Ashlei was reminded of herself, though this person was certainly someone of great importance. Yet she was also the closest thing Ashlei had ever seen to a Fyre. The impossibly beautiful person staring at her must be a Fyre. Ashlei's heart pounded as those piercingly solemn and commanding eyes stared right at her. Seeing she'd commanded Ashlei's full wonder and attention, those crimson lips parted to speak: "Hello, Ashlei."

I received an electronic copy of THE PRISM OF ASHLEI as part of a blog tour arranged by the TEEN BOOK SCENE.

THE TWEETEscape into the lush world of THE PRISM OF ASHLEI, where a young girl must complete a quest to stop the evil Rachendorf from taking over.

WHAT WORKEDTHE PRISM OF ASHLEI is a wonderful story that is easy to escape into for a few hours. For me, it was the perfect "summer read." I loved the lush descriptions of Ashlei's world and the character interaction was great.

What drew me in to THE PRISM OF ASHLEI was the action right from the start. This is a classic adventure story, with a few twists thrown in, that pulls a reader in and doesn't let go until the conclusion of the story. It's fast paced, yet easy to read and understand, despite being set in a very different world from reality.

I liked how the author used a flashback to tell Ashlei's story to Aryl during their initial encounter. Since the story begins with Ashlei having already started on her journey, it was necessary for the author to give some sort of backstory to explain how Ashlei got to that point. The use of a flashback to do this kept the story interesting and was as far away from an info dump as possible.

I also liked how, despite this being part of a series, THE PRISM OF ASHLEI is a complete story with a definite ending (no cliffhanger!). While I appreciate the use of cliffhangers to make readers want to continue with the series, I personally want to read a complete story with an ending. You can still hook readers without having to end a novel suddenly in the middle of an event or story arc.

OVERALLFans of fantasy and adventure will enjoy THE PRISM OF ASHLEI. The story itself may be a little conventional, but the fast paced action and adventure keep it interesting.

THE PRISM OF ASHLEI is appropriate for middle grade and teen readers alike.

MY RATING IS

Want to win THE GAILEAN QUARTET and have a character named after you? Enter author Christine Schulze's contest HERE.

For more information on THE PRISM OF ASHLEI, THE GAILEAN QUARTET and author Christine Schulze, visit THE GOLDEN HEALER.

1 comments:

Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed the read. If you're ever interested in reviewing the rest of the series, please let me know. To you and other readers: Each book truly is stand-alone; however, they do grow more complex, and in reading them all, it's neat to see how they weave together.